Is North Korea In Control of the Global Media?

Anyone else notice that North Korea has seemed to dominate front page news on nearly every continent this week? They’re really at it – and there are no bombs involved. Even The Dear Leader has been mysteriously silent. But North Korea is creating daily headlines that are befuddling all of the nations in the civilized world – and even the media is falling for it.

President Bush has not said anything about North Korea’s hogging of the international squawk box lately, however, he has found a way to stay the course despite the fact that TEXAS is about to get hit by a massive hurricane. According to the Taipei Times, however, Christopher Hill, the chief US nuclear negotiator has expressed a desire to visit the communist country for talks. According to tomorrow’s JoongAng Daily, Pyongyang welcomes his visit.

Yesterday North Korea reiterated demands for light water reactors from the U.S. (audio | text). Simultaneously, DPRK Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon announced that U.S. tourists will be allowed to visit for the first time in three years to mark 60 years of North Korean independence and to visit relics from the Korean War.

You’d think those New Orleans evacuees who apparently had things going “very well” when they were left homeless on the Astrodome floor no longer feeling like they found Babs’ golden ticket. Surely Papa Bush can’t be pleased that his home state can only cross its fingers with Hurricane Rita on the way. According to the President’s speaker Scott McClellan, the federal government is going to try and coordinate a little better than last time. What more can you ask of a privatized national crisis management organization?

All of a sudden, Kofi Annan appears headed out of the disheveled U.N. – doubly shaken by the antics of John Bolton. George Bush’s popularity at home has finally caught up with his reputation globally. Germany just had an election in which d) none of the above came out on top.

Oh, and by the way, there was a presidential election this week in AFGHANISTAN. But who really cares anymore, right? The U.S. government declares it was a success! And North Korea, without raising the slightest threat to the global community – albeit with absolute disregard for its own citizenry – has the media of the world on a roller coaster ride of unpredictable, yet globally relevant headlines.

My thoughts are with everyone who will be battling Hurricane Rita over the next few days. Write your congress reps to suggest raising the gas tax by a few cents and setting up a public fund for disaster relief from the revenues. And do yourself a favor and fill ‘er up today.

The public MUST help. FEMA has its own agenda and they prove it on their home page, where a national disaster has been declared in nearly every state in the union.